Mickelson has had some difficulties with money. Many reports over the years have said that Mickelson has had gambling problems —here’s a good roundup — and, well, the current story tells us that the insider trading allegedly involves a well-known Vegas gambler:

Here’s hoping it turns out he threw a couple tournaments. He’s sure missed enough short putts over the years.

@Baud: It’s just terrible that people may choose not to take jobs at these CEOs corporations because they can now get healthcare without a corporate job. This limits the CEO’s FREEDOM, and we can’t allow that.

I have a chance to spend time with CEOs, a lot of them who are quality individuals having a hard time hiring right now because of so much uncertainty going on in the financial world whether it’s taxes, whether it’s the health care, whether it’s all the obligations that are placed on the employer, so I don’t want to be insensitive, I understand and get it…

I own a business in Phoenix that supplies restaurants, hotels and caterers. I’m friends with many of my clients. One is a caterer who catered one of Phil’s Super Bowl parties. Word around the house that night was the losing $100,000 bet that was placed on the game, by the host. It could have been just a rumor, but I’ve heard stories like that before.

@pseudonymous in nc: It’s weird about golf. When I was a kid many ordinary folks played golf. My dad, blue collar all his life, went out every weekend with his pals to a large and pleasant city-owned golf course near our house. Apparently in the nearly 75 years since then, it’s become entirely the property of the rich.

Apparently in the nearly 75 years since then, it’s become entirely the property of the rich.

I remember reading a couple of pieces about how it deliberately became aligned with the executive Platinum Flyer Miles class, especially in the US. Perhaps Thomas Frank wrote something? It’s up his street. Anyway, you now have corporate finance sponsoring golf tournaments and corporate financiers hob-nobbing with golfers. The UK and Ireland have their fair share of corporate golf resorts, but there are still municipal courses, and St Andrews Old Course is a public park on Sundays and you can have a picnic in the fairway.